cafebabel.com

Europe's new 'Germanophobia': Who's afraid of big bad Germany?

('JamesBliss',) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 11:27:42 -0000

Tones of anger against German chancellor Angela Merkel's lack of action over the eurocrisis and a 'Germanophied' Europe, are getting louder and more intense

'What if?': students re-imagine 2011's big events

('Annie Rutherford',) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:31:09 -0000

Protests, eurocrisis and elections: it's all too easy to assume the events we read about in the news are inevitable. Yet so often they are instead the result of chance encounters, spontaneous decisions and personal feelings. We asked four European students to re-imagine the big events of 2011

European words of 2011

('Annie Rutherford',) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 11:03:26 -0000

Whilst lexicographers from the UK, Germany, France and Spain have released their sometimes odd ‘words of the year’, we’ve taken the liberty of grading the results from 1-10 and naming our own favourites

From elections to christmas, same old campaign in Spain

('Elaine Jordan',) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:07:11 -0000

Spain’s recent congress and senate elections on 20 November bombarded our tired eyes and weary spirits. Now we are hit with another inevitable bomb shell: christmas. We face another equally exhausting and worrying campaign

Slovenian, British, Spanish and German media on UK’s EU veto

('euro topics',) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:14:45 -0000

British prime minister David Cameron defended his EU veto in the British house of commons on 12 December, while French president Nicolas Sarkozy lamented that he was ‘splitting Europe in two’. Britain is simply more eurosceptic, replies the rest of Europe, who stress the advantages that the British can offer Europe

Contentious Guéant circular rejects work visas in France

('Annie Rutherford',) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:07:12 -0000

France’s governmental memo on employment for their residing non-European students caused quite a commotion, and we’re not talking Jerry Maguire style. Graduates like Nabil Sebti are taking a stand against what could either turn into a long-term policy of sealing France off or be a strategy to gain votes in 2012 elections

Do the Merkel, Monti and Sarkozy dance

('euro topics',) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 12:13:29 -0000

On 24 November German chancellor Angela Merkel and French president Nicolas Sarkozy agreed on plans to amend the EU treaties to impose budget discipline on the 17 eurozone countries. Italian prime minister Mario Monti also supports the initiative

Eurozone summit: perspectives on economic crisis

('Brussels Blogger',) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 13:05:03 -0000

We have heard these words so often that they have lost all meaning: global crisis, market failure, bank recapitalisation. Tonight once again, European governments will be searching for a way to minimise the crisis. Yet even if grounded in good faith, these decisions could simply stimulate current problems and protests

Ai Weiwei, or Europe's role in Chinese justice system

('Andrew Burgess',) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 11:04:24 -0000

Two months after his release, an article penned by the Chinese dissident has once again raised questions about the democratic future of China. Published in Newsweek, Ai Weiwei’s piece provokes us to rethink Sino-European diplomatic relations

WikiLeaks: Europe’s ruling class according to Washington

('victor escandell',) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 14:30:00 -0000

The whistleblowing site has turned the skin of international politics inside-out so people can see its capillaries, arteries and cartilages. This bloody network - 250, 000 documents have been taken from the American state department - includes natural portrayals of many European leaders. From the complex and absolutist Sarkozy to Berlusconi’s hangovers, a review of Europe through Uncle Sam’s eyes

Fare dodger, stowaway or free rider?

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 11:15:00 -0000

Does the Arab uprising mean more 'stowaways' for Europe? Why does a stowaway in French mean the same thing as a fare dodger? Why is fare dodging in Italy called 'pulling a Portuguese'? Expression of the week

Show me the money, Sarkozy: Libya's growl

('euro topics',) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 13:43:23 -0000

The son of the Libyan dictator Saif al-Islam's claim that the 2007 French presidential campaign was funded by his country comes as Nicolas Sarkozy recognises the rebel national transitional council as Libya's official representative body. The Dutch, Austrian and Swiss press condemn the unilateral move as detrimental to all concerned

Konik: life in biggest Balkan Roma refugee camp, Montenegro

('Bella3726',) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 15:00:00 -0000

This important refugee camp in Podgorica of Roma hailing from Kosovo had their homes referred to by The Guardian as a 'stinking rubbish tip'. Yet the ambitious young people living there are future masters of hip-hop and their destiny

Franco-German 'competitiveness pact' spanner in Europe's works

('Carol Howard',) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 13:43:29 -0000

The revival of the German-French axis after the numerous discords of recent years should be greeted with pleasure. Yet in the Merkel-Sarkozy era there is not much left of what was once the ‘driving force for European integration’. A Franco-German ‘competitiveness pact’ suggests a lost sense of solidarity and a deep distrust of EU institutions

French activist Julien Bayou on Europe's youth: 'Obvious to see why you’d be disenchanted'

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 13:22:32 -0000

Today’s precarious youth can just about pay their rent and have to make do with internships or makeshift ‘contracts’. This activist and politician has worked on speaking about the elephant in the room. Meet the unwitting 30-year-old ‘official face’ of a generation in difficulty, who we meet at a renowned squat in Paris

Roma deportations: Europeans offer alternative punishments for France

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 09:41:43 -0000

On 29 September, the European commission reneged on a threat to sue the member state for its actions against an ethnic group. If the EU commission is lacking in inspiration (for controversy), here are some ideas

Corruption, crime and journalism in Europe

('Sarah Truesdale',) — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 12:27:06 -0000

Political corruption in Europe is the drama of the season. Confronted by media revelations, the governments of Old Europe are criticising, even muzzling the media space whose influence they fear. Not all countries react in the same way: in Great Britain, Germany and Poland, media investigations pressure governments to fire people. In France and Italy, the news isn’t causing a stir at all

Summer of riots: French of 'foreign origin' to lose citizenship, president warns

('Sarah Truesdale',) — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:30:00 -0000

'French nationality should be stripped from anybody who has threatened the life of a police officer or anybody involved in public policing,' announced Nicolas Sarkozy on 30 July. A Frenchman looks at how the European media react

Fired public radio satirists - 'Berlusconisation France'?

('Nicola Potter',) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:00:04 -0000

Censor one person and someone else will speak for them. That’s what happened on 1 July in front of La Maison de la Radio in Paris, where disappointed listeners and exasperated France Inter workers protested against the sacking of morning show comedians Stéphane Guillon and Didier Porte. Flashback

Top tips from Parisian music festival Solidays

('Angela Therain',) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:00:00 -0000

A few glimpses dedicated to the 168 000 public that attended Solidays – the second biggest music festival in France after les Vieilles Charrues – and without whom the festival would be just another line up of stars

London: protest singing for the UK elections

('Olly the Octopus',) — Wed, 05 May 2010 16:06:56 -0000

Anarchy in the UK? More like apathy; 60 and 61% of voter apathy was respectively registered in the 2001 and 2005 elections. What will happen on 6 May? A London-based protest singer on the role of music in 'raging against the machine'

The European politicians who insult journalists

('Amanda Mulligan',) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 08:00:00 -0000

Media and politics has always been a love-hate thing. From Livingstone to Berlusconi, a brief outline of some of the most memorable insults that Europe’s elected officials have directed at both defenceless and sometimes-deserving journalists

Europe falls in press freedom rankings

('James Friscia',) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 13:00:00 -0000

If the old continent believes it still represents the paradigm of press freedom, then it is in for a rude awakening: in the worldwide rankings of freedom of the press published by Reporters Without Borders, many European nations are in a state of free fall. Yet a defence organises for what Kant called 'freedom of the pen'

EU press agree on Sarkozy's unpopularity

('euro topics',) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 13:50:21 -0000

French president Nicolas Sarkozy has shuffled his cabinet after the weak showing of the governing UMP in the French regional elections. The Spanish, Dutch and Belgian press cite Sarkozy's lack of orientation and his high-handed leadership style

Sarkozy affair: why the Brit media and co were interested

('Andrew Burgess',) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:00:00 -0000

Whether it is fact or fiction, the rumours of extramarital romantic affairs relating to the French president first-born on Twitter has impassioned the European media, despite the notable absence of newspaper treatment in France. Are European news networks coming to the rescue of national censorship?

Agenda 2020: 'France and Germany love each other'

('euro topics',) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:00:00 -0000

At a meeting of the Franco-German minister council in Paris, French president Nicolas Sarkozy and German chancellor Angela Merkel passed the 'Agenda 2020', which comprises 80 joint projects aimed at bringing the two nations closer together once more. A desirable goal, French, German and Czech commentators say, while also noting that the agenda could offer more

Turk-Eiffel Tower: reminder of the Turkish cultural season in France

('Paulina Dominik',) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:10:43 -0000

Turkey is not only kebabs and hammams. 'La saison de la Turquie', which ends in March 2010, aims to show the French how 'dynamic and modern' the country is. Is this large-scale cultural event with a political background a chance for ice to melt in the Turkey-sceptic EU member state?

So what if Jean Sarkozy wants to be like daddy when he grows up?

('Andrew Burgess',) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:49:22 -0000

He's got the eyes of his mother, the chin of his grandfather and the political gene from his father. The only difference marking the French president's son's bid to be chairman of Paris' financial district is that he is 23 ... a Spaniard breathes in the nepotistic affair

Economic crisis: how G20 summit in Pittsburgh will go down in history

('euro topics',) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:06:53 -0000

On 24 September, heads of state and government of the 20 leading industrial and emerging countries come together in Pennsylvania to sketch out a new global financial order. The French, Spanish, Luxembourgish and Swiss press hopes for the best, but voices few expectations for the G20 summit

Europe's political scandals: Alicante-gate, MP scandals and Berlusconi

('Andrew Christie',) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Italy's playboy PM, Britain's MP guzzlers and Germany’s 'Minister Shameless' (according to the Berliner Zeitung) are sharing the heat: the lull in the traditional summer silly season has prompted mass media coverage of affairs and scandals

Run-up to Swedish EU presidency: Turkey-EU blame game

('Anna Patton',) — Thu, 28 May 2009 17:01:12 -0000

Sweden, one of the most pro-Turkey member states, takes over the EU presidency in July 2009. But this may not be enough to kick-start negotiations for Turkey to enter the EU, which began in October 2005. Is there a common interest? Analysis

EU elections: French right and left submit candidates, but what if Europe is standardised?

('Darren Thompson',) — Fri, 15 May 2009 12:00:00 -0000

The main French opposition party (socialists, PS) and the union for a popular movement (UMP, headed by president Nicolas Sarkozy) are having difficulties entering totally into the electoral contest. The latter started to reflect on their European electoral manifestos under the French presidency of the EU, which was between July and December 2008

Sarkozy and Merkel: Franco-German reconciliation

('Aatish Pattni',) — Tue, 12 May 2009 12:00:00 -0000

The so-called ‘divorce’ of the Franco-German couple was lamented after the French EU presidency. The air has now been cleared; the two leaders were reunited on 10 May 2009 in Berlin regarding the upcoming European elections. There wasn’t a single drop of bad blood either

Czech Republic: EU equals protectionism equals communism?

('Lydia Bigos',) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:39:02 -0000

With different visions of the market, politics and the EU, this is a country which is torn between its new role as the centre of Europe and the rejection of any type of communism

Albert Pintat: 'Yes, Andorra is a tax haven, but...'

('Sarah Truesdale',) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:45:00 -0000

At the end of 2008, Andorra organised a summit on the future of Europe (from 27 to 28 November). Prime minister Albert Pintat has initiated an economic metamorphosis and has since had to face pressure from France to reform his fiscal system. This interview takes place on the eve of the legislative elections on 27 April

'Historic' G20 in London: a one trillion summit like no other

('c j',) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 14:44:06 -0000

On 2 April G20 leaders agreed on a mind boggling trillion dollar plan to tackle the global financial crisis. As US president Barack Obama heads to Strasbourg for a Nato summit, a roundup of the juice and conclusions

Online music, copyright and illegal downloads in Berlin

('Aatish Pattni',) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:00:00 -0000

All three topics are now making the rounds at the various political benches around EU member states, who are all trying to contain internet piracy with new means and thereby putting fundamental rights under the microscope. In Brussels, the council of ministers is also pressing the issue against decisions of the EU parliament. Bloggers, politicians and legal representatives of the ‘civil society’ speak

Governments target magistrates in reform of European justice system

('Fiona Herdman Smith',) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 10:46:04 -0000

Legal reform is a very delicate subject which threatens to destabilise the equilibrium between legislative, executive and judicial institutions in the EU countries. In The Spirit of Laws (1748), French philosopher Montesquieu founded the theory of the modern democratic state on the separation of the three powers. 'Every man invested with power is apt to abuse it and to abuse it limitlessly. To prevent the abuse of power, power must rein in power'

Palikot, Berlusconi, Sarkozy - politicians sin

('Lydia Bigos',) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 18:00:54 -0000

Impulsive, inappropriately affectionate, big heads - are politicians full of virtue? Videos

After tragedy, French psychiatry toughens up

('Natalie Huet',) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Following the 2008 death of a student stabbed by a schizophrenic man who had slipped out of a psychiatric hospital, ever-present president Nicolas Sarkozy demanded an ‘in-depth reform’ of the French psychiatric system. An outline was announced less than three weeks later, on 2 December

Pat Cox: 'Europe managed the economic crisis impressively'

('Andrew Christie',) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 11:00:00 -0000

The former president of the European council talks economic crisis, China and the Irish electorate’s rejection of the Lisbon treaty, three topics currently spicing up the European political scene

Sarkozy's last attack on the European parliament

('Helen Swain',) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 13:15:00 -0000

The French six-month presidency of the European Union is up on 31 December. Nicolas Sarkozy, who repositioned France at the centre of the EU and brought the political atmosphere up to date, is not happy with what the parliament is doing… and has not minced his words in Strasbourg!

The EU talks internet piracy

('Nabeelah Shabbir',) — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:15:00 -0000

The European parliament passes an amendment defending consumer rights on internet downloads, promotes fruit and vegetables and the Blue Card - the latest news from Brussels

Quotes: EU leaders talk financial crisis

('Sarah Truesdale',) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:44:36 -0000

From Bulgaria to Germany, European politicians analyse the consequences of the global crisis

Quotes: US-Europe politicians talk climate change

('Franck Lirzin',) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:00:00 -0000

Poker games and Don Quixotes for Poland and Italy who are sceptical about the EU's package, whilst the US tries to break ground. Quotes

Nicolas Sarkozy says he might be a socialist

('Marie Pepper',) — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 11:58:58 -0000

Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president and current president of the European Union, gathered momentum during the European parliament’s plenary session, which saw one of the liveliest debates of the last few years on 21 October

Press review: Sarkozy has the answer to the crisis

('euro topics',) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:07:55 -0000

Addressing the European parliament on 21 October, the French hyperpresident called for an EU 'economic government'. His proposal for the partial nationalisation of key European companies has triggered controversy

Sarkozy refuses to extradite former Italian Red Brigades terrorist

('Matthew Pagett',) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:40:52 -0000

Marina Petrella was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1992, for the 1981 murder of a police commissioner in Rome. France's decision has taken Europe back at least ten years. Opinion

José Manuel Barroso on the financial crisis: 'national borders mean little'

('Jos\xc3\xa9 Manuel Dur\xc3\xa3o Barroso',) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 14:29:15 -0000

Pulling together; the official word from the president of the European commission, which hit Europe's national dailys on 2 October

Videos: EU’s powerful but arrogant leaders

('mani sharpe',) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 10:00:00 -0000

The relationship between EU leaders and the cameras is often an unstable one. It is a way of gaining huge popularity. But it can also bring out the worst side in the leaders - or, to put it simply, display the arrogance of those in power